jocelyn



No. 621,092. 4 Patented Mar. I4, I899.

A. H. JOGELYN.

AMA'LGAMATOR.

(Apph t nfildAg 25 1897 (No Model.)

In u an for .flllwrt. HJoce A'IENT Futon.

ALBERT H. JOOELYN, OF NEl/V YORK, N. Y.

AMAL GAMATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,092, dated March14, 1899.

A Application filed August 25, 1897. Serial No. 649,416. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. J OOELYN, a citizen of the United States,residing in New York, (Brooklyn,) in the county of Kings and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAmalgamators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to amalgamators, and

more particularly to plate amalgamators, and is in the nature of animprovement on my improved amalgamating device shown and described in mycoutemporaneously-pending application, Serial No. 594,742, filed June 8,1896.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved amalgamating meanscomprising a plurality of shiftable or sliding readily separable orremovable amalgamati'ng members or plates interchangeable one withanother, whereby the cleaning up of the amalgam can be quicklyaccomplished.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved system ofinterlocking shiftable plates.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improvedamalgamating-plate which may be readily melted up with the amalgamattached thereto without materially impairing the same.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a series ofshiftable members or blocks, each carrying a removableamalgamating-plate, which may comprise a backingplate formed of anydesired material and a removable face-plate formed of any suitableamalgamating material.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification,Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of one form of thisamalgamating means illustrated in operation. Fig. 2 is a top viewthereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale,of the lower end of the same. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional viewthereof on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is an end view of one of theamalgamating members or plates, and Figs. 6 and 7 are end views of otherforms of said members or plates.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts in thedifferent figures of the drawings.

Heretofore, as set forth in my contemporaneously-pending applicationabove referred to, Various amalgamating means or sluices have been usedin connection with a battery. The construction of apron or sluice,however, more generally used in practice is that in which large heavypreviously silver-plated copper plates are fixedly secured in positionby suitable fastening devices. These amalgamating-plates have, however,been found expensive in practice owing to the time and labor necessaryto secure the proper cleaning up thereof, as the plates being fixedlysecured in position and not freely separable or removable the clean upscannot be made except at predetermined periods and with considerablelabor, it being necessary to permanently cutoff the flow of pulp orslime over the plates for a considerable length of time to permit theamalgam to be scraped therefrom. This scraping action, which usuallytakes place where the plates are secured in position and which in itselfis inconvenient and laborious, is also liable to injure the plates, asit is often necessary to use chisels to scrape off the amalgain, therebyalso scraping off the silver plating or coating. Moreover, when thesilverplating becomes scraped or worn off it is again necessary to cutoff the flow of pulp for a considerable length of timelin order toremove the plates for the purpose of resilver-plating, they usuallybeing sent for this purpose to a factory, and since it is well knownin-the art that the plates become more or less impregnated with amalgam,remaining permanently attached thereto and incapable of being removed bythe usual modes of cleaningup, it follows that this shipping of theplates for replating results in a material loss of the precious metal. IIn order to avoid these serious disadvantages and defects, an improvedamalgamating means comprising a series of improved amalgamating membersor plates is provided and in the use of whichthe separation of theamalgam therefrom is facilitated, and this without the loss of anyappreciable amount thereof or without the constant liability of injuringthe plates and without the necessity of shutting off the sluice for anyappreciable length of time.

As a preface to a further description of this improved plate amalgamatorit will be understood that the general construction thereof shown anddescribed herein may be more or less varied Without departing from thegeneral scope of the invention, and while the separable or removableamalgamating-plates are shown herein carried by a trough or sluice itwill be understood that this is not necessary, as they could besupported in position in any other desired manner. In the preferredconstruction thereof herein shown and described the supporting means forthe removable amalgamating-plates preferably comprises a trough 3, whichmay be constructed of metal orwood; but when formed of the lattermaterial it is preferably lined with some suitable material 4 to preventthe escape of the mercury or flakes of gold which may pass between thesides of the trough and the ends of the plates, the latter being sodisposed in the trough that they can be easily shifted therein in themanner hereinafter set forth. In practice any desired number of thesetroughs may be disposed side by side on the supporting-bed A in anysuitable manner with the usual or anydesired inclination, and whenconstructed of wood are preferably provided with reinforcing cross-bars5, or each trough may comprise a plurality of longitudinally-extendingcompartments. The number of such troughs or compartments generallycorresponds with the number of stamps in the battery and the number ofore-pulp or slime streams flowing therefrom, one stream flowing througheach trough or compartment, whereby one or more of such streams can becut off from its respective trough or compartment to permit the removalof one or more amalgamating-plates therefrom without affecting theoperation of the other troughs or compartments or necessitating theshutting down of the mill. Therefore a description of one of thesetroughs is deemed sufficient for the purpose of this specification. Itwill be understood, however, that instead of forming troughs in themanner just described the same result may be obtained by disposing onthe bed A, between the adjacent ends of every parallel series of theremovable amalgamating-plates, a removable or fixed side wall formed ofany suitable material. Carried by the floor 6 of this trough 3 is asuitable track 7, constructed in any desired way, but herein showncomprising a pair of conVeXlyshaped members, such as tubes or pipes laidlongitudinally of said trough and constituting a supporting means, onwhich the amalgamating-plates are shiftable in the manner hereinafterset forth. This track may, however, be disposed directly on the bed A.By means of this track the shifting of the plates is more easilyaccomplished, as it decreases the frictional resistance, which wouldotherwise be considerable if the plates were disposed directly on thefloor of the trough. This track also permits the formation of a space 30between the floor 6 and the under side of the amalgamating-plates or theblocks 14: for flushing purposes, while also facilitating the removal ofsuch blocks. This trough 3 is shown provided at its upper end with adistributing-plate 8, formed of any suitable material, preferablywithout an amalgamatin g-surface. This plate, which has side walls 9, isprovided with a downwardly-depending flange 10, adapted to overlap one,as the upwardly-extending flange 21 of the adjacentamalgamating-plate,which is disposed slightly below thedistributing-plate. To permit this overlapping and also the readyremoval of the amalgamating-plate, the distributing-plate support 8 isshown recessed at 8. The lower end of this trough is provided with anextension 12 for the reception of any desired number of receptacles orriiiles 13, the upper edges of which are shown disposed level with thefloor 6 of said trough, so that such riflies are in position to catchany free mercury or float or particles of gold escaping from the platesor the bottom of the trough. Carried by the supporting-track 7 forshiftable or sliding movement is a series of readily removable orseparable amalgamating members or plates 15, disposed one above anotherand one preferably overlapping and engaging an other. In oneconstruction of this amalgam ating means a series of oblong members orblocks 14, of any suitable thickness and corresponding in number withthe removable plates, are shiftably disposed on the track 7 one above another, preferably throughout the approximate length of the trough.Removably carried by each of these blocks let is an amalgamating memberor plate 15, the plates being so disposed relatively to each other thateach preferably overlaps its adjacent plate and is removableindependently thereof. In one form thereof herein shown and describedeach of these amalgamatin g members or plates 15 comprises a suitablebackingplate 16, constructed of any desired material adapted for thepurpose. In practice these backing-plates may be constructed ofaluminium, whereby they will not rust or corrode or become brittle bycontact with the mercury used to affiliate the gold, as would be thecase with plates of this size formed of copper, brass, or iron.

Each backing-plate 16 is formed or provided with means adapted tomaintain it in position relatively to its companion plate and 011 itsblock 14, and in the present construction the plate has a dependingflange 20 at its front longitudinal edge an d an upwardly-extendingflange 21 and a depending flange 22 at its rear longitudinal edge,whereby when the plates are in position the depending flange 22 of eachplate engages one side of its respective block and prevents the slippingor disengagement of the plates while in operation, while the flange 20of one plate overlaps and engages the flange 21 of an adjacent plate,and thus prevents the sand and ore-pulp percolating between the plates.

The plates formed in the manner herein described may be struck out ofsheet metal or cast, or such plates may have their flanges bent orfolded in position, if preferred.

Each backing-plate 16 in this construction is provided with a readilyseparable or removable amalgamating-surface, shown herein comprising aface-plate 17 ,which may consist of any suitable amalgamatingmaterial-such, for instance, as that which is herein termed, for thepurposes of this specification, as mass-silver, which will be understoodto include what is generally known to be pure silver and also an alloyof silver. These face-plates, however, or the backing-plates themselvesmay consist of any suitable base 'material and be silver-plated orotherwise treated,if desired. In practice,however,this removableface-plate 17 may be preferably formed as a thin silver plate ofsufficient pliability to permit it to be readily bent around and overthe backing-plate and to retain its position, the flanges of thebacking-plate constituting means for holding the face-plate in position.

Instead a thin silver plate the face-plate 17 may consist of anysuitable metal foil-such, for instance, as silver-foildisposed on thebacking-plate in a similar manner to that just described, and which foilmay be sufficiently thin to permit the same to be readily squeezed orwrung out, thereby to free the same from the mercury at the proper time.By means of these removable face-plates 17, each of which in practice,when composed of pure silver, weighs about one ounce or less, thenecessity of scraping the amalgam from the plates is avoided,as byremoving the'face-plate such plate,together with the amalgam thereon,canbe shipped away or the plate melted up with the amalgam thereon orseparated therefrom in any desired manner, a new face-plate beingreadily and easily bent on the backingplate in place thereof. Moreover,by having the face-plates removable, each of which, as

above stated, in practice weighs about one ounce, it will be readilyseen that a number may be sent by mail or otherwise shipped at acomparatively small cost to replace those worn out and quickly placed inposition without shutting down the mill and only by temporarily cuttingoff the sluice. Moreover, the cost of silver-plating, as well as thecost of the copper plates, is entirely done away with, and as theseimproved plates always keep a purewhite highly-amalgamable silversurface and do not discolor and are absolutely non-corrosive they neverhave to be resilvered, as is the case with the copper plates, and whenthey have become unfit for use they can be readily melted up as bullion.In practice each of the amalgamating-plates 15 may be about twelveinches in length and about three inches in width and will be disposedsubstantially in v the position shown and above described, so that thedepending flange 20 of one plate will overlap the upwardly-extendingflange 21 of the adjacent plate, while the depending flange 22 of eachplate will extend between the adjacentsides or Walls of a pair of blocks14, whereby such plate, as well as the adjacent blocks, will bemaintained against displacement. By this means of disposing the plates15 a series of steps are formed, over which flows the ore pulp or slimefrom the battery. By having the plates constructed as above set forth itwill be seen that a large number of steps or descents to each foot isobtainable, shown herein as four in number, aggregating about an inchfall to the foot, whereby a more thorough distribution of the ore-pulpover the plates is obtained than is the case where the plates are oflarge dimensions.

To maintain the amalgamating-plates l5 and their blocks 14; in position,suitable means are provided, and in the preferred form thereof shownherein the trough 3 is provided at its lower end with a fixed cross baror member 25, intermediate which and the lowerm 0st removableamalgamating-platc 15 and its block 14: is disposed a removable lockingmember or block 26. A metal plate 27, of any suitable material,preferably un provided with an amalgamating-surface, is shown fixedlysecured to the locking-block 26 and has a depending flange 27 extendingover the edge of the fixed cross-bar 25 and to which it issecured by afastening device 28. The removable locking member 26 is provided with adevice 29 for removing the same, together with its metal plate 2'7, whenthe latter is unfastened from the cross-bar'25.

In operation the plates having been treated in the usual or any desiredway with mercury after the run has been made or during such run, ifdesired, when it is found that a sufficient quantity of amalgam hasformed on the plates 15 the flow of pulp to the particular troughdesired to be cleaned is temporarily cut ofi or diverted. The fasteningdevice 28 is then manipulated tovpermit the removal of the lockingmember 26, at which time the particular amalgamatingplate or plates 15having the amalgam to be cleaned therefrom can be quickly removed. Inpractice as the amalgamating-plates at the upper end of the troughusually have the largest amount of amalgam thereon hence when thelocking-block 26 has been removed such plates can be quickly and easilydetached, the remaining plates quickly shifted upward on thetrack,either by pushing or drawing said plates upward as a whole, whichis permitted by the overlapping or interlocking flanges, thereby to fillup such space, and new or clean plates, corresponding in number withthose removed, then quickly inserted at the bottom of the trough in amanner that will be readily understood. The removed amalgamating-platescan then be subjected to heatas, for instance, by immersing them in warmor hot water or otherwise treatedthereby to soften the amalgam andpermit the removal thereof with despatch or the silver or metal foilface-plate l7 removed from the backing-plate 16 with the amalgam thereonand melted up therewith and new face-plates bent on the backing-plates,from which it will be seen that by means of this improved apparatus anyappreciable loss of amalgam is impossible, While at the same time thelaborious scraping of the plates, as heretofore practiced, in order toclean off the amalgam is completely done-away with.

Instead of constructing each plate of separable members the entire plate15 may consist of silver or of some suitable amalgamating materialadapted for the purpose, Fig. 6, whereby it can be melted up with theamalgam, and as the plate when constructed of precious metal can when nolonger desired for use in the apparatus be melted up into bullion thereis no additional expense except the temporary outlay in providing suchplates. lVhen the plates 15 are formed in this manner, they are ofsufficient stiffness to maintain their shape when in use and aredisposed on the blocks in the same manner as above set forth, and as theweight is inconsiderable they can be forwarded by mail, as hereinbeforeset forth.

If found desirable, the blocks 14 may be entirely dispensed with, andthe amalgamating-plates, either comprising the separable members 16 and17 or formed as one plate, disposed directly on the tracks or othersupporting means in a similar manner to that shown and described in mysaid application, Serial No. 594,742. In this case it would be necessarysimply to provide some suitable means for maintaining the plates inposition, thereby to prevent the shifting of the same. One means ofattaining this result is shown in Fig. 7'. In this construction eachplate is provided with parallel depending flanges 20' adjacent to itsfront edge, thereby forming a bifurcated flange adapted, when inposition, to receive or extend over or overlap the upwardly-extendingflange 21 of the adjacent plate, thus forming interlocking means andpermitting the plates to be disposed directly on the track, as by meansof such interlocking flanges 20 and 21 the plates will be held inposition relatively to each other and can be readily shifted in a bodyon the track after one or more have been detached.

I claim-- 1. An amalgamating device comprising a sluice formed of aseries of fiat, non-panform'ed amalgamating-plates disposed in positionto form a stepped surface to permit the free passage of water thereover,one plate overlapping and interlocking with another, and each platereadily removable from the series independently of its companion plate,and of a construction, and formed entirely of metal suitable to bemelted up with the amalgam attached thereto;

2. An amalgamating device comprising a sluice formed of a series ofshiftable, freelyremovable, interchangeable, overlapping andinterlocking flat, non-pan-formed amalgamating plates disposed inposition to form a stepped surface to permit the free passage of waterthereover, all of said plates being simultaneouslyshiftable on theremoval of one or more of said plates from the series, and each of saidplates of a construction, and formed of precious metalthroughout,wl1ereby it may be melted up with the amalgam at: tachedthereto.

3. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supportingmeans 5 and a series of shiftable, removable, and interchangeableamalgamating plates carried thereby and forming a stepped surface topermit the free passage of Water thereover, each of said plates beingconstructed entirely of mass silver, whereby it may be melted up withthe amalgam attached thereto, and each of said plates having a dependingflange and an upwardlyextending flange, respectively extending below andabove the amalgamating metal surface of its plate, the flange of oneplate overlapping the flange of a companion plate, whereby said platesare shiftable as a whole over said supporting means on the removal ofone or more of said plates.

4. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supportingmeans and a series of removable amalgam atingplates carried thereby,each of said plates comprising a backingplate having adownwardly-extending flange adjacent to one edge thereof, and adepending and an upwardly-extending flange adjacent to the other edgethereof forming means for maintaining said plates in position, and aremovable amalgamating-plate overlapping said flanges.

5. In adevice of the class specified, the combination of supportingmeans; a series of amalgam atin g-plates carried thereby, each of saidplates comprisinga backing-plate having three or more flanges, oneflange of one plate overlapping the flange of another plate and anotherflange of said plate being overlapped by a flange of another plate; anda removable metal-foil face-plate superimposed on said backing-plate.

6. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supportingmeans; and a series of amalgamating-plates carried thereby, havingamalgamating-surfaees, each of said plates having a bifurcated flangeadjacent to one edge thereof, the sides of said flange beingformedindependently of said plate, and an upwardlyextending flangeadjacent to the other edge thereof, said flanges forming means formaintaining said plates in position relatively to each other.

7. In an amalgamating device, the combination of supporting means; and aseries of amalgamating-plates carried thereby, each of said plateshaving a bifurcated flange adjacent to one edge thereof, and anupwardlyextending and a dependingflange adjacent to ITO the other edgethereof, and also having an amalgamating-surface, the bifurcated flangeof one plate interlocking with the upwardlyextending flange of acompanion plate.

8. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supportingmeans; and a series of amalgamating-plates carried thereby, each of saidplates having a bifurcated flange adjacent to one edge thereof adaptedto interlock with a part of a companion plate, the two sides of saidflange being formed independently of said plate, and each of said platesbeing formed entirely of metal suitable, to be melted up with theamalgam attached thereto Without affecting the quality thereof.

9. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supportingmeans; and a series of removable amalgamating-plates carried thereby,each of said plates having a bifurcated flange adjacent to one edgethereof, and an upwardly-extending flange and a depending flangeadjacent to the other edge thereof, the bifurcated flange of one plateinterlocking with the upwardly-extending flange of a companion plate,and each of said plates being formed throughout of precious metal,whereby it may be melted up with the amalgam attached thereto.

10. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supportingmeans; and a series of removable amalgamating-plates carried thereby,each of said plates comprising a backing-plate having a bifurcatedflange adjacent to one edge thereof, adapted to interlock with a part ofa companion plate, the sides of said flanges being formed independentlyof said plate, and a removable amalgamating face-plate superimposed onsaid backing-plate and overlapping a part of said bifurcated flange.

11. In a device of the class specified, the

combination, of supporting means; and a sc-- ries of removableamalgamating-plates carried thereby, each of said plates'comprising abacking-plate, having a bifurcated flange adjacent to one edge thereof,and an upwardly-extending flange adjacent to the other edge thereof, anda removable metal-foil faceplate superimposed thereon, the bifurcatedflange of one plate interlocking with the upwardly-extending flange ofan adjacent plate.

12. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supportingmeans; a series of shiftable, independent members or blocks carriedthereby; and afreely-removable nonpan-formed amalgamating-plate carriedby each of said blocks, one plate overlapping another and all of saidblocks and plates being simultaneously shiftable over said supportingmeans on the removal of one or more of said blocks and its plate.

13. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supportingmeans; a series of independent members or blocks carried thereby andslidable thereover; and an amalgamating-plate carried by each of saidblocks, and constructed entirely of mass silver,

whereby it may be melted up with the amalgam attached thereto withoutaffecting the quality thereof, said plates interlocking one withanother.

14. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supportingmeans; a series of shiftable members or blocks carried thereby; and aremovable amalgamating-plate carried by each of said blocks oneoverlapping the other and forming a stepped surface to permit the freepassage of Water thereover, each of said plates comprising abacking-plate and an amalgamating metal face-plate.

15. In a device of the class specified, the

combination of supporting means; a series of shiftable members or blocksdisposed thereon; and an amalgamating-plate carried by each of saidblocks, and comprising a backing-plate and a removable metal-foilfaceplate superimposed thereon.

16. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supportingmeans; a series of rectangular, relatively thick blocks disposed thereonfor-shiftable movement thereover; and a non-pan-formedamalgamating-plate carried by each of said blocks and having a pluralityof flanges, one flange of each plate overlapping the flange of anadjacent plate, and another flange of the same plate being overlapped bythe flange of another adjacent late.

p 17. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supportingmeans; a series of blocks disposed thereon; and a removableamalgamating-plate carried by each of said blocks, and each having aplurality of flanges, one flange of each plate engaging one of the wallsof its respective block, another flange of said plate overlapping andengaging the flange of a companion plate, and another flange of the sameplate being overlapped and engaged by the flange of another companionplate.

18. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supportingmeans; a series of blocks disposed thereon; and a removableamalgamating-plate carried by each of said blocks, and each comprising abacking-plate having a plurality of flanges, one flange of each plateengaging one of the walls of its respective block, another flange ofsaid plate overlapping the flange of a companion plate, and anotherflange of the same plate being overlapped by the flange of anothercompanion plate; and a removable amalgamating face-plate carried by saidbacking-plate.

19. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supportingmeans; a series of shiftable and removable members disposed thereon; anda removable amalgamating-plate carried by each of said members, and eachcomprising a backing-plate having a plurality of depending flanges andan upwardly-extending flange, one depending flange of each plateengaging one of the walls of its respective member, and the otherdepending flange of said plate overlapping the upwardly-extending flangeof a companion plate; and a removable amalgamating metal-foil face-platesuperimposed on said backing-plate.

20; In a plate-amalgamator, the combination of supporting means; aseries of removable amalgamatingplates carried thereby, one plateoverlapping its companion plate, and each plate comprising abackingplate and a removable metal-foil face-plate; and locking meansfor maintaining said plates in position relatively to said supportingmeans and relatively to each other.

21. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supportingmeans; a series of shiftable blocks carried thereby; an amalga-1nating-plate carried by each of said blocks, and comprising a pair ofreadily-separable members; and means for maintaining said blocks andplates in position relatively to said supporting means.

22. In an apparatus of theclass specified, the combination of a trough,a track carried thereby, a series of normally removable blocks,shiftably carried on said track, a normally-removable amalgam ating-plate carried by each of said blocks, and comprising a backing-platehaving a plurality of flanges, and a flexible amalgamating-plate carriedthereby, and overlapping said flanges, one flange of each plateoverlapping a flange of another plate, and one flange of each plateengaging a wall of its respective block, and means for locking saidblocks and plates in position.

In an apparatus of the class specified, the combination of a troughprovided with a lining, and having at its upper end a distributing-platefor the reception of a stream of ore pulp or slime, and having at itslower end a mereury-receptacle, a track carried by said trough, a seriesof normally-removable, shiftable blocks carried on said track, anamalgamating-plate removably disposed 011 each block, and comprising abacking-plate, having an upwardly-extending, and a pair of dependingflanges at the longitudinal edges thereof, and a mass-silver face-plate,extending over the face and overlapping the flanges of saidbacking-plate, one depending flange of each plate overlapping theupwardly-extendin g flange of an adjacent plate, and the other dependingflange of each plate engaging one of the Walls of its respective block,and means for locking said plates in position.

24. An amalgamating-plate comprising a flat surface having adjacent toone edge thereof a flange extending upwardly from said surface, and alsoa flange entirely extending below said surface, and having adjacent toanother edge thereof another flange extending below said flat surface.

25. An amalgamating-plate having, ad jacent to one edge thereof, anupwardly-e:\:tending and a depending flange, and, adjacent to anotheredge thereof, a depending bifurcated flange adapted to interlock withthe upwardlyextending flange of another plate when said plate is inoperative position.

26. A plate adapted to amalgam ate precious metal and having a rigidbifurcated flange adapted to interlock with a part of another plate whenin operative position, said flange having its two sides formedindependently of the plate and extending in a plane perpendicular to theamalgamatirig-surface of said plate.

27. A plate adapted to amalgamate precious metal, and com prising abacking-plate having a rigid bifurcated flange adapted to interlock witha part of another plate when said plate is in operative position, saidflange having its two sides formed independently of the plate andextending in a plane perpendicular to the amalgamatingsurface of saidplate; and a removable amalgamatin g faceplate.

28. An amalgamating-plate com prising a backing-plate having a pair ofdepending flanges and an upwardly-extending flange, and a removablemetal-foil face-plate superimposed on said backing-plate.

29. An amalgamating-plate comprising a backing-plate of aluminium; and ametalfoil face-plate superimposed thereon.

ALBERT II. J OOELYN.

\Vitnesses:

C. S. WEED, A. 13. MA'r'rINoLv.

